


Seeing You Leave

by andywriter98



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28407000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andywriter98/pseuds/andywriter98
Summary: A Callen & Anna centered story that takes place after ‘Cash Flow’, the 4th episode of season 12. Contains SPOILERS.
Relationships: G Callen/Anna Kolcheck
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Seeing You Leave**

_**My plan for this story is not to write a plot with many chapters, but merely to connect the events that already happened on and off-screen between those two and that *I think* are and will be essential to their future as a couple. We'll see how extensive this one will turn out to be. Also, this is marking my first time ever in the multi-chapter world as a non-native English speaker/writer. For someone who's been writing one-shots only for the past three years, this is a huge challenge. So, bear with me in case the transitions between the chapters don't look or sound that good. Hope up enjoy this. Reviews/comments are welcomed and appreciated!** _

**Chapter 1**

It was pretty early. The sun was freeing its first rays into the atmosphere, progressively lighting up this dark room. The buzz and the vibration of a mobile alarm suddenly filled the air, taking the welcoming quietness away. Its display marked 6:30 a.m. of what appeared to be a sunny fall day. It was considerably warm for that time in the morning, thus making it less challenging for Callen to get out of such a well-filled and warm bed to workout with Sam, Fatima, and Rountree via Zoom, just like they had planned. He opened his eyes and stretched his left arm to reach for the improvised bedside table. Callen turned the alarm off and looked over to his left. He saw the one with whom he had been sharing his mattress all snuggled up with her back towards him. Quietly, he moved from lying on his stomach to turning on his right shoulder only to crawl closer to her. His left hand moved underneath the covers to amiably rest on her tummy, and his head bent to place a couple of amorous smooches on her shoulder through her t-shirt. Anna shivered a bit at the unforeseen touch and giggled softly when Callen’s facial hair and lips brushed against her cheek in search of hers. He chuckled along. In a whisper, he greeted her, his voice still raspy. “Good morning.”

Anna wiggled a bit so that she could face him properly. “Good morning to you,” she replied with a sleepy but content look on her countenance.

They shared a couple of loving little kisses, and Callen moved the covers from his way. He got up to change into some sporty shorts and a t-shirt. Simultaneously, Anna got dressed in some comfy black leggings and an emerald green sweater, Callen’s. She went to make breakfast for both. Once it was ready, she set the two plates on the table and sat down across from him. They savored their food, although Callen only ate half of his prior to the intense exercising. He didn’t want to starve, but he didn’t want to be full either. He finally started his training, and Anna picked her plate and put it in the kitchen sink. Subsequently, she made the bed to sit on it reposefully. She sat cross-legged and began a little Xbox session. In spite of being a videogame aficionado, Anna didn’t play that regularly. At least not now that she was living with Callen and had found work as a volunteer. However, since her lover was going to be busy completing The Murph challenge with his teammates, she decided to get some virtual practice going. Anna peeked on his workout here and there to silently appreciate him.

Eventually, the convo between the four members of the team opened a window of opportunity for Callen to share a fun-fact about his life. He mentioned that he had been a lifeguard as a teenager, which introduced his girlfriend to their chat. “How did I not know that?” she asked surprised.

That was Callen’s chance of bringing the sass up. “You never asked,” he answered, and Anna laughed at his humor.

Anna loved that there were still things that she didn’t know about him. It kept things fresh and exciting between them, and it was way too much fun to tease him. She also enjoyed throwing a few words back and forth with Fatima and Roundtree. Nevertheless, their chat was soon interrupted by Nell. The one currently in charge of the OSP briefed the senior and the junior agents on a new, recently baked burglar case, not enabling them to conclude their workout successfully. Just after they were all up to date on the specifics of the robbery, Callen organized the team. He assigned each duo distinct but converging tasks to cover as much ground as needed. Once they all logged out of the call, the agent in charge got off the treadmill. Earlier that morning, he had put a white towel down on the table behind the couch; he grabbed it. Callen took the body armor off, and Anna paused her game.

Hesitantly at first, Anna began a vital and very meaningful conversation between the two. “Do you think I’m crazy for volunteering to do this?”

Callen looked at her and replied, a little out of breath. “Not at all.” He let the body armor fall onto the back of the chair he had previously sat on.

Concurrently, Anna moved to sit on the left side of their bed with her legs crossed at the ankles and she proceeded. “I’m sure a shrink would say that I’m just throwing myself at other people’s problems instead of dealing with my own.”

With the towel in his hands, Callen wiped his face softly. “Well, that’s why no one likes shrinks and they have no friends,” he responded in a very straightforward way whilst his right hand grabbed his stainless-steel water bottle.

Anna stood up. “Well, that’s a bit harsh,” she observed whilst making her way to the couch.

“Harsh, but true,” Callen agreed, which made her laugh quietly. The training left him considerably thirsty. So, he rapidly untwisted the cap from the bottle and took a sip. During that short moment, he noticed the doubt flying around Anna’s head when she sat on the couch. Those feelings were absolutely normal, but Callen didn’t want her to feel like that. “Hey,” he started, making her gaze meet his again. With a sincere tone to his words, he assertively praised her attitude and choice. “I’m proud of you. You’ve had a lot taken from your life. Your career, your freedom.” Anna’s face was a mirror of the thoughts going through her mind as she seemed to be recalling those hellish situations. “Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, you’re going out to help people. I mean, complete strangers, no less.”

Anna listened closely. In the end, her face lighted up with joy at his earnest, heartfelt, and kind speech. “Thanks,” she rejoindered with a smile, which soon disappeared. “It’s just so sad, you know. Santa Cruz County alone lost over 800 homes. So, between the fires and COVID, those people are hurting.” Anna could see that Callen felt for those people, too.

“Yeah. Have they assigned your team a specific neighborhood to rebuild yet?”

“No, not yet. But I’ll know soon,” she informed him. “They told me to be ready in two days.”

Those words caused some uneasiness and uncertainty in Callen. His mind was unconsciously playing a throwback to what happened when Anna was accepted to work for the ATF. The look on his face didn’t leave much to doubt. Although he recognized that the feelings that were resurfacing were not half as strong as they had been some years ago. Callen now knew what he wanted out of their relationship. That meant that he wasn’t looking forward to being apart from her one more time, hence the silent apprehension. To Anna, verbalizing those words made her exteriorize their true meaning. It also allowed her and Callen to access this higher and more intense level of acknowledgment of the reality that they were soon going to witness. In addition, it emphasized the way the two felt about a temporary goodbye. It sent a strange and distressing feeling of anticipation over Anna that she couldn’t quite keep inside. Unlike Callen, who seemed to be handling it better.

She stood up and walked towards her boyfriend. Fortunately, in a way, he knew her better than he knew himself at times. The sadness and the nostalgia that painted her loveable features didn’t go unnoticed and she knew it. The thought of her decision ending up making him ache, once again, led Anna to open her heart to him. “And I’m going to miss you, Callen,” she confessed, her index finger caringly touching his chin in a swift motion.

The way Anna stared at his mouth with fondness spoke volumes. Callen could see it perfectly; his eyes observed her intimate moves closely. Anna wanted to taste him once more. Hopefully, his touch would manage to soothe her soul a bit before he left to go to work. Her hands cupped his face lovingly. She adored feeling the exquisite texture of his facial hair on her fingertips. Their lips began to dance, and Callen could feel the sparks of her undeniably present desire everywhere. As always, he met her need and affection right away. He pulled her body closer to his. His hands, which were on her waist initially, locked around her lower back. Anna’s left-hand fingers touched Callen’s jaw and chin. They brushed against his neck and stopped on his right shoulder. Almost immediately, her right hand went to the back of his head to caress it and pull him even closer, if that was possible.

An instant later, Callen slowly broke away from her lips and charmingly looked her in the eye. He wanted nothing but to cheer Anna up in his own way and to make the most of what they had left. “Well, uh… I think we can make the best of those two days,” he whispered, his smirk embracing that suggestive thought.

Anna definitely liked the way he was thinking. “I think we can,” she said in a flirtatious manner as her left arm went around his neck, too.

Callen had to smile. “Mm-hmm,” he added to his girlfriend’s flirtation by agreeing in a sexy pitch. Anna mimicked his sound.

As a way of silently making up for cutting in on their moment, instants ago, Callen stole a kiss from Anna’s now wet and appetizing lips. She returned the gesture, and their exchange resumed, long-drawn-out at first. Nonetheless, before they knew it, both got more and more involved in it. It reached a point where it was noticeably beginning to grow into something more sensual. Anna was particularly hot for him. Callen would love to carry on with it and light her fire to its fullest, but duty called. He tried his best not to lose his focus by sending controlled-filled messages to his physique. Otherwise, Callen knew he would be late for work. He gently decreased their pace until he ceased it. As an apology, he pecked her roseate lips. “I have to get ready for work,” he said in a low voice as their foreheads touched. The gesture permitted them to calm down. 

Anna licked her bottom lip and shot him a consenting smile; her eyes were still closed. “I know.” She chuckled to herself. “Guess I got a little carried away.”

The sound of her lover’s soft chuckle filled the air. Callen’s lips met her skin once again as he placed a caring kiss on her forehead. Callen wasted no further time. He went to take a shower and to do his morning routine. A quarter after 8 a.m., Callen was out of the bathroom with only some boxer shorts on. He made his way to the couch where his clothing was and got dressed in a dark blue shirt and some casual jeans, along with his light-brown boots. Next, he got up to go pick his to-go bag, but Anna handed it to him, instead. “Thank you.” He took it from her hands and looked inside to check if he had everything he needed before making his way to the door. His girlfriend accompanied him. The keys jingled when he took them out of the lock and slid them into the left pocket of his jeans. Then, with a hand on the small of Anna’s back, he sweetly pulled her to him. “I’ll see you later,” he told her before giving her a warm kiss.

Anna kissed him back and held the door open for him. “See you. Be safe”. Callen shot her a happy expression and walked down the stairs towards the front door. Anna watched him leaving and closed the door when he was already gone. She only hoped the day would go by quickly.

In the back of his mind, Callen spent the whole day processing what Anna had told him about leaving within two days. He truly wanted to make those couple of days worthy of their temporary separation. Even though Callen chose to focus on that, he wasn’t particularly delighted about seeing her go, soon. Despite the whole tragedy that the pandemic brought to the world, getting to spend so many days and months with Anna by his side was the best that had happened to them in a long while. The two grew even more familiar with one another. They learned the details of their routines and habits and took their time to explore each other mentally and physically. The two had shared the same space—his home—for a little while, back then, but it wasn’t the same thing. Callen had been loving to live with Anna, and he knew she felt the exact same way. The last months had been heavenly and pretty comforting. He didn’t want that to end. If anything, Callen wanted the time they had left to be special. As special as all the other days or even more, and he wasn’t going to waste any time.

The sun was already setting when the team arrested Benavidez—the guy who was trying to make a run for it with the money related to the amateur burglars’ case. That ended their investigation in Boston Heights, and they drove back to the OSP. Around 5:30 p.m., they had officially wrapped up their day of work. With a sigh, Callen—who was by himself at the bullpen—finished his paperwork and put it on the ‘out’ box. He reached down to the ground to pick his to-go bag and put his laptop in it. His slight tiredness was palpable, but so was the gladness of finally walking out of OSP for the day and going home. Once in the parking lot, Callen made his way to the black Mercedes and threw his bag onto the back seat. He got in, promptly turning the engine on, and pulled out. It was already dark when he left the office.

By then, Anna went out for a brief but necessary trip to the closest grocery store.

Since the OSP location was a secret one due to National Security, Callen always made sure to drive around a few blocks and streets—different ones every day—before beginning his real ride. It wasn’t a protocol requirement per se. Yet, most of the agents proceeded like that to avoid falling into a routine that could end up compromising both theirs and the office’s security. He got on the Interstate-710, the Long Beach Freeway, and drove north for a dozen of miles. Downtown LA was his destination. Twenty minutes later, he took the 18A-exit to follow the Santa Ana Freeway for a couple of miles. He kept left on the fork between the I-5 and the highway 101 to stay on that freeway for another two miles. At the 1B-exit, he got off the freeway and turned left towards the East 1st Street. A red light stopped him at the intersection with N Gless street, and Callen took that opportunity to tap his car’s GPS to find out how to get to this specific restaurant. When the light turned green, he continued forward on the path that the red point in the screen indicated. He drove through the 1st Street Viaduct and turned left on the crossing with the S Vignes Street only to turn right to the East 2nd Street, a couple of blocks further. It didn’t take him long to arrive, and he calmly parked his car on the side of the road, right in front of the building. His order got ready quite fast, too. The place wasn’t crowded, which Callen appreciated.

In the meantime, Anna got back to the apartment. The natural darkness of the night had set. With it came the progressive decrease in the amount of natural luminosity. So, Anna turned on the lights of the ‘bedside’ lamp and of the floor lamp behind the treadmill. Both she and Callen preferred a low-light kind of environment, which turned the apartment into a restful and cozy room. It also contrasted with the life outside. She made her way to the kitchen counter and organized the groceries by putting them in their respective places. Anna was about to go change into something comfier when she heard a ring. Her ears recognized it as her phone's ringtone. She walked to the couch to pick it, and it was a call from her volunteer team’s supervisor. The woman informed her that they had just received the green light to start their work in this neighborhood in Santa Cruz. Anna sat on the couch. Even though she was happy about doing some good for others, the words that followed caught her off guard and left her quite astonished. To her surprise, her team was being sent there that evening instead of within two days, as initially planned. That expected but anticipated call threw all of her and their possible plans out of the window. Part of Anna’s excitement regarding the time she had left to enjoy with her boyfriend went with it. She wasn’t even going to be able to share a final meal with him. That sure was not what she had in mind for their evening and night. Before Anna could think anything else, her phone vibrated again. This time it was a text from Callen. “Another case closed. I’ll be home soon,” she read it out loud. A shy smile started forming on her lips. She knew he wasn’t one to text that much—and she didn’t necessarily want him to, but he had been doing it more. She took it as meaning that Callen enjoyed letting her know how things were going throughout the day, whenever he could. That thought vanished, and Anna faced the inevitable doubt of how she would tell him about that call. It certainly wasn’t going to happen through a cellphone, especially not if he was driving. She hesitantly stood up from the couch and went to get her things packed before she ran out of time.

On his way home, Callen followed the reverse route. But instead of getting in the Interstate-710, he remained on the freeway for seven more miles. Callen then took a detour on the exit-124 to get on the San Gabriel River Freeway. He kept going for eleven miles. A while later, he got off the freeway and made his way to the East 7th Street towards Long Beach. There was some traffic in the area near the crossing with Channel Dr and along the entire street. It inevitably increased the amount of time that Callen had previously planned to spend. Nevertheless, he made it to North Alamitos Beach and parked his car near the bar a few minutes before 7 p.m.

The whole packing thing took Anna a ton of focus and almost an entire hour. She was folding the last two pieces of clothing when she heard someone walking up the stairs. Judging by the time and the sound of the steps, Anna knew that it could only be Callen. The noise of a key turning in the lock left no room for doubt.

Callen made his way in and closed the door. “I got burgers from Father’s Office,” he announced as he walked straight to the table that was behind the couch. “And I really hope you’re not still playing Xbox,” he continued. The light noise of closing clasps instantly caught his attention. In a swift but natural move, Callen turned around to where the sound came from. He stopped in his tracks, stunned at the sight of his girlfriend by their bed, locking a suitcase. As Anna set it down on the floor, Callen placed the white bag that he was holding on the table.

Anna nervously put both hands on her hips and turned in his direction. “You had me at ‘burgers’,” she let him know while displaying an affectionate grin.

A lot of contained surprise and a look of disappointment spread all over Callen’s features. Without saying a word for some seconds, he let the keys slide into the right pocket of his jeans and sighed rather heavily. His eyes kept alternating from looking at Anna to look at the bag on the ground in hopes of processing that new piece of information. He already knew what all that scenario meant, but he had to ask, anyway. “I take it we don’t have two more days?” The rhetorical aspect of the question was undeniable; the sadness in his voice was tangible.

In response, Anna kept her gentle but anxious smile on and shook her head. “They called me an hour ago. We got approved to start work immediately.”

At the unpleasant words that came out of his girlfriend’s mouth, Callen’s hands—that were previously hanging down at his side, moved to rest on his hips. That gesture was a clear manifestation of the frustration that he was feeling. Callen let out another sigh filled with disappointment, but he tried to make the best out of what they were given. He looked at the bag he had brought and moved his head towards Anna, again. He titled it charmingly to the left while his lips shaped a little smirk. “Do you have time for a burger?” He wanted a lot more than a burger.

With a slight grin, Anna answered. “To go.” She anxiously walked in Callen’s direction. It was her turn to sigh. “This is harder than I thought,” she confessed when she was already facing him. Almost instinctively, her hands stroked over his arms. Her eyes followed the movement. She was going to miss him badly, all of him.

Callen’s hands went for her hips. “Hey,” he uttered, making her look him in the eye again. “It’s a couple months.” His voice lowered. “All right? You’ll be back in no time.” He was trying hard to remain positive for Anna—and for himself, too—by assuring her that the time would go by fast. They would be together again in the blink of an eye, although he knew it wasn’t going to go just like that. It wasn’t going to be as easy as his words made it seem.

In a way, his sweet yet kind of unreal manner of dealing with the situation touched Anna. She admired how he tried to stay optimistic by not mentioning how he felt about it only to cheer her up. But she wanted him to be true to himself and to what he was feeling. Her hands rubbed against his hairy forearms with care, and she opened up to him one more time. “I think, during quarantine, I just got so comfortable being here with you. I don’t want to leave now.”

With that sincere confession, Anna successfully managed to break Callen’s positive yet defensive shield. His facial expressions changed from encouraging to downhearted in a second, and he finally gave in. “I don’t want you to leave either,” he replied, shaking his head for emphasis. The sound and the meaning of his words were reverberating in his and Anna’s minds.

A feeling of powerlessness took over Anna’s being at the sight of Callen’s face covered in sadness. She tenderly pulled him in for a hug, her arms practically locking around his shoulders. She needed to feel him close. Callen’s hands moved from her hips to her back. He promptly welcomed her in his arms and tightened the embrace, his chin resting on her right shoulder. His sadness and the frustration kept increasing if the heavy exhale and the way he was staring into space with a pensive face were any indication.

“I need to do this,” she said.

Callen was very understanding of her wishes, needs, and decisions, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit left out of those for a second. He knew his feeling didn’t mirror the truth, though. “I know,” he said at last.

They stood there in each other’s arms, taking in all that proximity and warmth for as long as they could. Eventually, they let go of the hug. Anna’s lips instinctively searched for his, and Callen’s accepted hers with the same avidity. They shared a short, heartfelt, and pretty emotional kiss. Her right hand went for his right cheek, afterward, and it brushed against his facial hair. She caressed him, her thumb tracing its way down. It slowly ran over his top and bottom lips, feeling their slight wetness. Anna wanted to have all of him memorized before leaving.

His gaze met hers. “Let me at least drive you to your pick-up point,” Callen suggested.

Anna smiled weakly but sincerely at him. “Of course. I’ll appreciate that.”


	2. Chapter 2

**_The descriptive part of the directions is a challenge that has turned out to not be as tough as I thought it would, at first. Still, know that I’m not familiar with L.A. or California’s geography, topography, and traffic routes. I’m relying on google maps for those, which means that there might be differences. Anyway. This second chapter is slightly longer, and it’s all about 'off-screen' scenes. Through an analysis of the implicit timeline (if one can call it that) that connects the episodes, I tried to make them fit both the show’s time and the real events. By the end, the chapter begins to implicitly represent half of a 'bridge' between what has already aired and what might be in store for those two in the near future. Hope you enjoy it._ **

* * *

Chapter 2

Callen’s lips repaid the weakness of her smile with one of his own. He didn’t have much to be delighted about, after all. At least not for the time being. In a short movement, his head lowered slightly, and his gaze focused on the watch on his left wrist to peek the time. “We should get going, then,” he said as he looked at his Anna again.

His girlfriend concurred tacitly with a nod, and they let go of each other. Anna turned around to grab her black insulated jacket, which she had placed on the bed. She switched the bedside lamp off and picked her suitcase up. Once by the door, she rotated the thumb-turn and opened it. Meanwhile, her boyfriend had gone straight to the chest of drawers by the wall in front of their bed. He took his leather jacket out of the upper drawer and heard Anna making her way down the stairs already. That played out nicely with what he wanted to do next. He deviated a bit from his plausible path to the door and walked across the room to the table where the white plastic bag was. With a certain amount of expertise, Callen hid one of the boxes with his jacket so that she wouldn't see it. Finally, he stepped out of the apartment and secured the door. It didn’t take them long to walk down the stairs and come near his car. At about ten feet away, Callen reached for the back left pocket of his jeans and took the car keys out. The car’s alarm system produced a short, soft but high-pitched sound as his left thumb clicked on one of the remote control’s buttons, unlocking the doors and releasing the trunk. Anna put her suitcase inside it, next to his to-go bag, while he carefully laid his jacket down on the back seat. Both got in the car, fastened their seatbelts, and Callen turned the engine on. In a matter of seconds, the car smoothly left the parking space.

The third decade of the century didn’t kick off like the whole world thought it would. A new and recently detected virus kept disseminating all over the globe. According to some news stations, it had been happening since last November. Only a couple of months after the two started living together above the bar, a preventive quarantine was implemented nationwide. Thankfully, science exists, and its continuous progress enabled an incredible and speedy response to the illness’s proliferation by summertime. Nevertheless, no one was able to stop the negative impact of the new threat before it was really under control. Unfortunately, many people still lost the battle against the infection and some precautions remained. During the complicated and tragic weeks that followed, Anna started searching for small, existent jobs and even considered the idea of becoming a volunteer. A few clicks and some reading later, she applied for a job at ‘L.A. Works’. She soon began doing a lot of volunteer work throughout the Los Angeles communities that were most affected by the COVID pandemic. At the end of September, while zapping through some channels, she came across some news concerning the summer wildfires in the coastal but largely mountainous county of Santa Cruz. She promptly got up from her snuggly nest on the couch to pick her laptop, opened it, and checked some links to read the more detailed articles. The virtual sights in front of her, as well as the written statements of some residents, left her speechless. Apart from the COVID nightmare, the natural devastation and the damage that the intense, lightning-initiated flames brought to a large number of those Californian homes were terrible. Seeing those pictures sent her on a flashback to a brief tour that she had done throughout the main areas of the county, years ago. Anna had loved it up there, and her memory opened like a box at the remembrance. Her mind was invaded by mental representations of the vast, hilly landscapes that stunningly blended with the green lowlands and flat terraces, which lead to vertiginous and breathtaking cliffs by the sea. The contrast between the beauty Anna had observed and the destruction that the footage showed hit her. An instant later, she caught herself typing the words ‘volunteer santa cruz’ in the search bar. To no surprise, and much to her gladness, the first result presented a local site—cityofsantacruz.com. Her right middle finger moved on the laptop’s touchpad until the white arrow-like cursor changed into a hand with its index finger up. She tapped the sensible surface, and another tab opened, displaying an info-based page related to volunteer programs in the area. The part that appealed to Anna the most was the ‘group projects’ one. It had a pretty attractive warning, which mentioned a group that was recruiting a few more people to help rebuild some neighborhoods. Some blue, underlined words saying ‘submit here’ stood out, and she clicked on them. Anna was filling the form enthusiastically until a sudden flash of reasoning lead her fingers to lift from the keyboard, stopping her from hitting ‘send’ too soon. _I need to talk to Callen, first_. She read the information again, more attentively this time, and found out that the group project was a joint mission between the county’s CitySERVE and the nonprofit organization she has been working for. _Perfect._ She now had two motives to carry on with it. Besides wanting to help, she already knew how her organization worked, which would certainly make the whole process easier. Following that thought, Anna waited until Callen was back from work to share her recent idea and wish. Ever since the day they found out about the expungement of her criminal record, Anna was opening up a lot more. She wanted him to be aware of her decisions, and that one in specific required his outlook. They talked the topic through, in a clear and outspoken manner, over dinner, that night. More than anyone else, he was overly understanding of her wishes and felt the pride rushing to the surface at her so humane and kind-hearted spirit. Callen knew what it was like to do some good for others and then look back at it and at the positive repercussions generated by a simple action, at the end of the day. The sense of accomplishment was one of the greatest feelings a human being could ever experience, and he wanted nothing but to see his lady serving her purpose and feeling fulfilled, after all the hell she had lived quite recently. He just wished she didn't have to be away from him while doing so, but his work had also taken him away on countless occasions. They knew and assured each other that it wouldn’t be forever, both would manage it just fine. About three weeks subsequently to that dinner, Anna got the first call related to being ready to leave.

“So, where are you guys going to catch your ride?” Callen asked shortly after they initiated their trip.

“At our headquarters in the L.A. River Center,” Anna announced.

Having heard that new piece of information, Callen drove north towards the 3rd Street until it converged with the W. Shoreline Dr. They crossed the L.A. river through that access on their way to the Long Beach Freeway. They remained on it for sixteen miles, more or less, and then got on the Santa Anna Freeway. After another two miles, Callen entered the Golden State Freeway and drove up only to exit it on the exit-137B towards the Pasadena Freeway. It led them to the W Avenue 26. The drive was pretty tranquil, and they had a light conversation about the goals that Anna’s team had set for their mission. They wanted to help the community clean part of the natural and material destruction caused by the fires, replant some trees, rebuild about ten rural homes, and offer some needed assistance related to the already-controlled pandemic. Callen wondered how they would manage to do it all until the holidays. A doubt to which Anna presented a simple answer—her team wasn’t the only one that was being sent there. Her sincere words didn’t convince him completely, though. An undesirable presentiment regarding her comeback slowly took over him, but he mentally discarded it, keeping it away from his ongoing thoughts. They had left the bar half an hour ago, and their destination—well, Anna’s—was now practically around the corner. At the crossing between the W Avenue 26 and Jeffries Avenue, Callen waited for the traffic from the opposite direction to clear a bit. He then turned left to enter the River Center and the Mercedes made its way through the entry at low speed. The sight of a big, evergreen tree caught his eyes. It was in the middle of a little roundabout at the end of the path, and its top covered the whole circle. Behind the massive tree were the gates that led to the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, an area of special events. The car made a tight curve to the right to approach one of the parking lots in that area as it drove towards the very generous headquarters of ‘L.A. Works’. Anna’s team chose that place as their pick-up spot because some of her colleagues decided to go aboard the same adventure. Both saw the bus parked in front of the head office, and some people were gathering near it already, but Callen decided to pull up his car a few spots ahead, next to a living fence. He wanted a few more minutes of privacy so that they could say goodbye properly. The moonlight was particularly mellow and radiant that night, and its seemingly bluish shine brightened up the clear but dark skies.

“Well, this is your stop,” Callen said with a faint smirk as he turned the engine off. The two got out of the car, closing the doors in the process. Callen went for the trunk to take her suitcase out. He put it on the ground and gently handed Anna the trolley handle as he pressed the trunk’s close button. He then stepped closer to her.

Anna shot a grateful grin at him. “Thank you for driving me.”

“No problem,” he replied politely. Callen took a fleeting pause to admire her features under that moonlight and appreciate the strength of her character. Their eyes met and a spark of electricity zinged between them. Before Anna could say something else, she felt the warmth of his pleasant lips on hers. Her eyes closed right away, and she welcomed him. Their subtle, affectionate kissing grew in intensity and passion as Callen moved his left hand to rest on her cheek and side of her neck, not caring if anyone saw them. Their heartbeats raced as their mouths and hands took what both needed to go through the weeks ahead. Their intimate but fitting touches showed the immensity and the depth of their feelings, which didn’t pass unnoticed by a couple of people. Anna moved her right hand up to touch his, naturally breaking their urgent and fervid exchange. Their foreheads touched like it so often happened and, once again that day, it allowed their bodies to cool off a bit. The atmosphere around them was burning and the sentiment of premature longing was the most present one. Callen licked his lips with an unconscious intention of saving her kiss, and Anna waited until he opened his eyes.

She understood his voiceless message just fine. “I’m going to miss you, too,” she replied to the words he didn’t speak.

They looked slightly up to stare into each other’s eyes one more time. It almost felt like they could see through their souls. Callen’s hand left her jaw and set on her hip, squeezing it gently. “Have a safe trip, all right.”

The touch of her delicate hand embraced his cheek. She let her thumb rub tenderly against his skin and smiled in hopes that it could cheer him up a little. “I will.”

“Also…” Callen silently asked for a second by lifting his index finger. He opened the back left door of his car to pick something as she observed every move he made. He walked back to Anna with a white box in his hands. “Enjoy your not-so-warm burger.” There was a twinkle on her eyes at his thoughtful gesture. “I’ll see you on the holidays.”

Anna nodded. “Thank you, again, Callen. I’ll text you as soon as I arrive. See you.”

The couple shared a final impassioned peck and Anna made her way towards the group. Apparently, she was the last team member to get there. They all hopped on the bus, and Callen watched it gradually drive away while leaning against the back of his car with arms crossed. In spite of the growing distance, Anna rushed to the back of the bus so she could see him one last time. He noticed his girlfriend looking outside the back window and waved at her once in his very own way while putting on a slight smile. He hoped it could hide part of his discontent. She waved back and quietly watched his figure disappear as the bus made its way out of the parking lot and onto the street.

When the back of the bus could no longer be seen, Callen breathed a bit heavily and looked down at the ground. _That’s it._ Little did he know that his heart would feel so tight and heavy. His task at that now empty parking lot was finished, he had no other purpose for remaining there. Surprisingly, he wanted nothing else than to be in the comfort of his place. Well, their place. The studio apartment had slowly started to feel and look like home with Anna around. A light nocturnal breeze made him shiver a little and brought him back to reality. He walked to the driver’s door, opened it, and sat down on the still-warm seat that sadly indicated how brief their last moment was. The door closed behind him, and the sound of the locking system filled the quiet and dark ambiance in which the dashboard and the incorporated tactile screen were the only sources of thin light. Callen let his head lean back against the headrest’s cushion for a few seconds. The recent events left him feeling a bit down in the dumps and he didn’t hold a needed sigh back. Not caring about the pattern of his itinerary one bit, he took the equivalent one on his way back home. Apart from the ongoing urban sounds that his brain had tuned out after a while, the drive back home was very silent and a lot lonelier than what he had imagined. Callen tapped on the radio for it to serve as some company, but it was bothering him more than it was helping him escape a little. Anna sure filled his mind, and her distinctive presence brought peace and happiness to his being. He was aware that the following weeks were not going to be particularly easy. Something would always be missing.

At the same time as Callen drove home, Anna and her new teammates were on their way to LAX. She ended up settling on one of the back left rows after having rushed to that area, earlier. Prior to making herself comfortable, Anna lifted her suitcase and placed it in one of the luggage compartments above the seats. As she sat down, she noticed a colleague approaching her.

“Hi, there!” Amanda greeted her.

Anna put on a courteous smile as she tucked the seat waist belt and replied. “Hi, Amanda! So good to see you here.”

“Don’t tell me. It’s awesome to find a familiar face around. And I’m super glad to know we’ll be working together on another project.”

“Me, too. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Also—and sorry for my nosiness—I inevitably saw what happened back there, at the headquarters.”

Anna chuckled to herself almost shyly. “Yeah… I apologize for not having greeted you all. We needed that moment,” she shared.

“Oh, no.” the older woman shook her head. “Don’t apologize for that, it’s totally understandable. Actually… I came here to say ‘hi’ and-” Her tone became more empathetic and serious. “I know we’re not that close, but… Well, I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything, you can count on me. I happen to know how hard that is.”

Anna was listening closely and realizing how much harder staying away from Callen was going to be, this time. “That’s very kind of you, thanks.” She wasn’t sure that she was able to hide part of the longing from her expression.

“No problem.” Amanda shot her a friendly smile and touched her colleague’s left hand caringly. The touch surprised Anna but it also gave her a kind of comfort she didn’t know she needed. “I’ll leave you be, now.”

“Thank you, again. I appreciate it.” With one last smile, the woman walked back to her seat a few rows away from Anna’s.

Upon entering the apartment, Callen rotated the thumb-turn to lock the door and stood there. His stare wandered around the now desolate space. It was a lot more composed than what it had been a year ago, although the human presence was essentially what gave it some life. And that presence has temporarily been cut down to half. The light of the floor lamp at the northwest corner stayed on for reasons, and it ended up guiding his sight towards where he last had been, earlier. Before he ended up forgetting about it, Callen picked the bag from the table and put the white box in the fridge. He was never one to lose his appetite easily. However, the hungriness he was feeling until he arrived home from work was gone with Anna. He’d get the burger and the fries heated up once his body asked for some fuel, whenever that would be; he had never liked wasting food. Callen also needed to clear his mind a little, and taking a warm shower sounded like a good way to start. He placed his bag on the couch along with his watch, which he took off his wrist swiftly, and the phone, wallet, and car keys that he removed from his jeans’ front and back pockets. He then headed to the bathroom, turned the light on, and let the water run while he took his shoes off and got undressed, letting the clothes fall on the floor. When the water was already pretty warm, Callen stepped into the spacious cabin and closed its door. The palm of his hands met the cold tiled wall as he moved under the rain shower and let the water embrace his head and body, wetting his soft, brownish hair and tanned skin to their entirety. Then he lowered his head a bit so that the pressure of the water changed to the back of his neck. He felt his muscles relaxing and some thoughts dissipated with the steam. Callen gave himself the opportunity to enjoy that pleasant sensation for some more minutes before worrying with the whole washing part, which didn’t take him much time. As soon as his hands had completely rinsed the shampoo off his hair, he turned the water off and slid the cabin’s door open. He reached for the holder on the left and took the large towel from it to dry his hair a little and then wrap it around his waist. He stepped out of the cabin carefully, dried himself off completely, and got dressed in some cotton light blue checked boxer shorts and his grey sleeping t-shirt. In no time, Callen emerged from the bathroom. The apartment wasn’t a cold place, at all, but he felt the need to put on a comfy hooded jacket for some coziness. He made himself comfortable on the couch and zapped through some channels in order to find something worth staying awake for.

Their shuttle stopped near the entrance of terminal 4. _Finally_. Anna hopped off the bus and breathed in some fresh air. Well, as fresh as it could be at an airport, anyway. She was just happy to be out of that vehicle and to be able to stretch her legs. The group entered the terminal, and Anna looked up at the arrival-departures monitor. On its right upper corner, the digital clock marked 8:10 pm. The departure was going to take a little while. So, they went through the expected security and luggage procedures and then settled in the waiting area. Anna noticed that many of her teammates didn't intend to momentarily leave the place, and she took that opportunity to go find some food. She had eaten her burger already, on her way to LAX. Despite being practically cold, it was divine and had satisfied her appetite just fine. However, Anna knew herself pretty well and preferred to have some snacks at a hand’s reach in case she got hungry again. Suddenly, her mind drifted off to Callen as she recalled his lovely, unforeseen gesture. It still warmed her heart. She had to smile to herself, as well as wonder what it would have been like to share that meal with him. The burger alone assuredly wouldn't have appeased all of her needs, nor his. The group waited for two hours and a half to catch the 10:40 pm plane to San Jose International Airport. The flight was about seventy-five minutes long, making it five minutes to midnight when they arrived. The day was already over when they picked their luggage and went through security one more time. Anna stepped out into the cold breeze of the night and was glad to have her warm jacket folded vertically over her forearm. She stopped her motion for a bit to put it on and zip it all the way up. Her right hand wrapped around the suitcase’s trolley handle again and she followed the others as they hopped on another bus for a one-hour drive towards Santa Cruz county. More specifically to Bonny Doon's neighborhood. She hadn’t been able to take a little nap in the plane and she didn’t seem to be able to do so in this bus either. She was too unconsciously absorbed in her internal world as the thoughts about her lover went from background to first row ones. Such long trips often had that kind of introspective effect on her, especially if there was no sort of distraction. Anna allowed herself to relax against the seat. While most of her teammates had slid their window curtains, she kept looking outside the window on her right. The more the bus drove away from the airport, the cleared the skies became, and the more beautiful the sight of the shining stars and nocturnal colors was. She felt herself getting more and more tired by the minute, and she couldn’t wait to arrive and get some recharging sleep.

Hours later, the first rays of sunrise invaded the quiet room, and Callen’s body kept fighting against the instinct of welcoming another day. Nonetheless, in the wake of getting immersed in what seemed to be a deep sleeping stage and then sensing his brain regain its conscious activity, a couple of times, he gave up. He knew he wasn’t going back to sleep. With eyes closed and still drowsy, he rolled on his back, allowing himself to get used to the morning light as well as the thought of having to get up, soon. Despite a troubled couple of hours that he went through before finally falling asleep, Callen had forgotten about what happened the previous night. Unconsciously, his right hand slowly moved in a quarter of a circle starting by his thigh and over the space at reach, stroking the sheets until its motion ceased when his fingers touched the pillow next to his. _Anna’s_. His heavy, tired eyes began to open for the first time that day while Callen softly turned his head in the direction of Anna’s side of the bed. For a moment, he was hoping to feel the dazzling texture of her skin—that often took him on a delightful, enamored, and rapturous path to heaven—against his fingertips, and to savor her lips in a good morning kiss. But he quickly realized that the one he was envisioning wasn’t there. Yet, her scent remained in the air and on the sheets. As Callen’s stare changed to face the ceiling, a sleepy sigh escaped from his mouth. The bed had always felt empty and cold, back when he was all by himself. Perhaps he would never admit it, but that was one of the reasons why he chose to sleep in his bedroll for years. It didn’t remind him of the loneliness that often. Now, having in mind that he had been sharing his own bed with someone whom he was deeply in love with, over the past months, Anna’s sudden but known absence and the feelings that it originated in him made it seem even colder. The lack of her engaging presence agonized his soul in a way he couldn’t quite grasp or explain, he just knew it didn’t feel right. Callen had to silently chuckle at how he felt. He had just never thought that he’d ever find someone with whom he would end up connecting so easily, let alone feeling as emotionally attached as he was. In a good way, though. Or so he hoped. He was missing Anna already and she’d only been gone for a few hours. He rolled to his left and picked his cellphone from the third compartment—the one at his eye-level—on the left side of the self that stood behind the bed. The notification’s greenish light was on, which suggested either of two things. He touched the screen lightly twice and then unlocked the system. Thankfully, Callen was met with the one thing he expected the most—a text from Anna sent at 1 am. He chuckled at how he had become so used to a night of deep sleep that not even the vibration produced by his phone woke him up anymore. _Mainly thanks to Anna_. He clicked on the notification and it opened the text, displaying it on a now black screen. “Made it to Santa Cruz safely and am already at a station near the Bonny Doon’s neighborhood that I told you about, earlier. Can’t wait to shut my eyes for a bit. Have a good day at work, later,” he read it out loud with a sleepy voice, and a gentle smirk formed on the corner of his lips. Without giving it too much thought, Callen typed a short message back and let go of his phone. He moved the covers away a bit so he could sit up on the side of the bed, stretch his arms and carefully rub his face. A quiet yawn allowed his brain to fully switch to its vigilant capacity. In a flash, he was on his feet. As he walked around the bed towards the bathroom to freshen up, his t-shirt was the first thing to go, and he threw it on the bed. Callen didn’t feel like it at all, but he knew he needed to go for a run to catch some fresh air before heading to work.

* * *

**_If you got here, thank you very much for reading! Reviews are appreciated._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!


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